A warriors dream
by Lynx Traveller
Summary: if Androids dream of electric sheep, what does Dinobot dream of?


First things first. All those who haven't heard the new Norwegian hit 'Decepticons' by Ugress (it's in English) should be ashamed of yourselves. Go to www.thetransformers.net right now before they remove it from their site.

Second, if anyone can supply me with the full lyrics for this song, I'll repay them by writing any fic that they want (I know that isn't much, but it's all that I've got. Other than a few Starscream remixes that I've made.) 

I can only get about 20% of the lyrics, but I really want to know what the rest of them are, because it's a cool song.

Thanks in advance.

Now, on with the important stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beast wars; I only own this fic.

Tis fic was inspired in no small part by the unaired episode 'dark glass', and by the critically acclaimed fan-comic of the same name.

I haven't really decided yet whether this is before or after Rattrap managed to restore Dinobots backup conscious, so I'll leave it up to you to decide.

Lets get this started.

"Alright Dinobot, I doubt that I'll need you again tonight, you may go."

I nodded my head slightly before heading off to my quarters.

Despite myself, I felt slightly afraid.

For some reason, I'd been having strange dreams whilst recharging lately.

I'd contemplated telling Megatron, but even in my own optics I could see it as a weakness. A weakness that I despised, and in turn despised myself for having it.

Yet, despite how much I told myself that I was stronger, I could never quite beat it.

The worse thing was that I was getting the feeling that they were spreading; if I listened close enough I could still hear the voices whilst I was awake.

And they're getting stronger.

I reached my quarters and entered.

I'd been told that these were my quarters from before I dishonoured the Predacon name and defected, but I didn't remember any of the items that were hung around the walls.

Most were weapons of various types, which made perfect sense, but there were a few tokens that I had no idea what they were, such as coloured stones, and what looked like a small piece of titanium etched with a warriors crest.

There was also a letter from a female that I had no memory of.

I'd often thought of just taking it all and throwing it in the lava pits, but there was something that stayed my hand.

Other than these things I had no possessions; I'd had no need for anything since I'd returned to Megatron's side, and so most of the stuff in my quarters just sat undisturbed, gathering dust.

I turned to my recharge platform, still slightly apprehensive of what I knew was inevitable.

I growled, now about to let it get the better of me. I lay down and powered down my optics.

………

I was on some sort of plane; I could see infinitely in all directions.

"Welcome Dinobot."  
I growled and turned to the bot beside me. I despised this bot more than anyone else.

Traitor.

Turncoat.

Collaborator.

Deserter.

Renegade.

Defector.

Convert.

Myself.

Dinobot stood in front of me with the stance of a confident warrior, but we both knew that it wasn't me that he was waiting for.

"So, I see that we're all here. Perhaps we should begin."

Standing behind me was the reason for my continued existence. The sole reason.

The immortal stood easily head and shoulders over myself and my former incarnation.

I feared this bot more than anything else.

"So Rampage, you're here are you?"  
I suddenly felt afraid and weak; I knew that I had no power here. This wasn't my domain, this battlefield belonged to the two bots now staring through me at each other.

I knew exactly what they were fighting for; I was the ultimate prize, the one true goal.

And to a lesser extent, I already knew what the outcome would be.

"You have no honour, you let yourself be captured again my Megatron."

I knew it was worthless, but I stuck up for myself.

"I died a heroes death."  
"A warrior makes sure that their body can't be perverted by their enemies. You should have made sure that the Maximals burnt your corpse in the proper manner."

"I tried, but Megatron got there first."

"You call yourself a warrior."

Rampage sneered at Dinobot, before beginning his calm logical debate that only a genius can master.

"You think you're a warrior Dinobot? You sacrificed yourself to save a lesser species. Now you're no use to anyone."

Dinobot rounded on the killer crab, "I died a warriors death. I fell in battle, which is all that a warrior can hope for."

"You're a fool, a living warrior is far more useful than a dead one. And to throw your life away to save something as pitiful as a fleshling? I could wipe them all out in a matter of moments."

"You have no honour."  
"You're right, but I don't strive for honour. I strive for glory. Only one of my enemies remains, but all Cybertronians know who I am now. Parents tell their children that if they don't behave that I will visit them in the night. I will be remembered for eternity. You, you're nothing more but a fallen soldier, remembered by those who knew you and no one else."

"Is fame all you care about?"  
"I care about nothing other than doing what I want. No one controls how I run my life."

Rampage shot a meaningful look in my direction.

"You control your own life, but what about destiny."  
"Destiny is for the weak, shape my own future with the actions of the present."

"So you say."  
"You cling to the warrior's ways, and thus you're confined to a narrow path. I do what I please. Your kind is a dying breed Dinobot."  
"I can still think of another who will carry my legacy."

This time it was Dinobots turn to shoot me a glance.

"Honour is the only path to enlightenment."

"Glory is the only way to be remembered."

"A warrior does what he must."  
"A free bot shapes his own path."

"You must remember what history has taught you."

"History must learn from its mistakes, or it will be doomed to repeat them."

"Death at the hand of the enemy."

"Death of the enemy at your hand."  
"To doe honourably is the only path."

"To live gloriously is the only way."

With that, both bots stared at me, waiting for an answer.

The truth is that I don't know the answer. Part of me believes that my former self was stupid to throw it all away, but the other part knows that Glory comes at the price of control. 

If I give into Dinobot, I will be doomed to repeat his mistakes.

If I give in to Rampage, I will be at his mercy. 

"Time is wearing thin, choose now."

There was still a third option that I had available. It was the one that I'd chosen so far up to this point.

Megatron had programmed me with loyalty. I could hide behind that for a while yet.

But I knew that holes were appearing in that programming. Soon there would be no defence. Soon I would have to choose.

Honour, or Glory.


End file.
